Box-fastener.



No. ess-,781: Patented mit. l, |901.

F. MOELLENBRUCK.

BOX FASTENEH.' Appucmn me@ Apr. 1s, 1901.) (No Madel NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANK MOELLENBROCK, OF DISSEN, MISSOURI.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,781, dated October 1,1901.

Application tiled April 15, 1901. Serial No. 55,975. (No model.)

tening the opposite ends of lthe lid to the box in a tight and convenient manner and to facilitate the disengagement of the fastenings, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a crate having the improved lid-fastening applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and the adjacent upper portion of the crate, the lid being shown supported in a tilted position for ventilating the crate. ing one of the fastenings in elevation.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates the body of an ordinary crate as commonly used for shipping eggs and having the ordinary flat top or lid 2 fitted iat upon the top edges of the crate. Each end of the lid is provided with a cross-bar 3, eX- tending across the under side thereof and flush with the outer end edge of the lid. As best indicated in Fig. l, it will be seen that each corner of the lid is notched, as at 4, thereby providing an intermediate projection or tongue 5, that lies outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the crate and to which the cross-bar is connected, the ends of the crossbar terminating flush with the respective ends of the tongue, and thereby lying within the opposite longitudinal edges of the lid. The cross-bars are designed to lie against the respective ends of the crate, so as to prevent endwise displacement of the lid, and normally rest upon the respective transverse cleats 6, secured to the outer sides of the ends of the crate.

The fastenings at the opposite ends of the crate are duplicates, and each consists of a substantially oblong-shaped wire loop, 7 that Fig. 3 is an end view show;

normally embraces the lower side of the adjacent cleat the opposite ends of the latter and the cross-bar, and the upper side of the tongue portion of the lid. This loop is formed from a single length of spring-wire, with its opposite ends bent inwardly, so as to lie within the loop and also in the same plane therewith, thereby forming fastening stems or members 8, that are passed downwardly through the intermediate projecting tongue portion of the lid and also through the cross-bar, the projected terminals of the stems being upset, as at 8, against the under side of the crossbar, whereby the loop is conveniently connected to the lid and embraces the cleat upon the crate, so as to secure the lid to the crate and prevent sidewise and upward displacement thereof. Additional fastenings are employed in the form of staples 9, that embrace the outer end portions of the arms 10 and are driven through the lid and the cross-bar, with the prongs upset against the under side of the cross-bar. The upper face of the lid is provided with a transverse groove 1l for the reception of the arm portions 10 of the loop or fastening in order that the latter and the fastenings 9 may project as little as possible above the lid.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that each end fastening is of substantially U shape, with its opposite extremities connected to the lid, so as to embrace the latter and the cleat upon the box, the loop having 'a slight spring movement upon its connection with Ythe lid, so as to be sprung into embraced engagement with the cleat.

To apply the lid, one of the looped fastenings is hooked about one of the cleats, and then the lid is closed downwardly upon the said one fastening as a hinged connection with the crate, the opposite fastening being sprung or snapped into engagement with the opposite cleat, whereby the application of the lid is facilitated.

To remove the lid, one of the fastenings is drawn out of engagement with the adjacent cleat and then the lid is swung upwardly upon the opposite fastening as a hinge until the rst-mentioned fastening has cleared the top an endwise direction to disengage the said IOO opposite fastening from the crate, which operation is exceedingly simple and may be readily and conveniently accomplished.

As the cleats and cross-bars terminate short of the respective sides of the crate, the opposite side portions of each fasteninglie within the sides' of the crate, and to give convenient access to said side portions for drawing the loop out of engagement with the cleat the opposite upright corner edges of the crate are provided with notches l2, that lie opposite the respective sides of the loop and expose the backs thereof for engagement by ngers that are entered into the notches, as will be apparent by examination of Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the lid may be elevated upon one of the-fastenings as a hinge with the opposite fastening rested upon the adjacent upper edge of the crate to support the lid in an upwardlytilted position for ventilation and to permit inspection of the interior ot' the crate. Furthermore, the looped fastening normally inclines downwardly and inwardly, so that the outer portion of the spring-fastening lies at the inner side of the transverse line of attachment with the lid, whereby when the lid is fastened upon the crate the ends of the latter engage the outer ends of the fastenings and hold the same sprungoutwardly out of 'their normal positions, whereby a tension is placed upon the fastenings to cause the same to snugly and tightly grip the crate,and thereby obviate looseness on the part of the lid.

It will be observed that the looped fastening members are permanently carried by the lid and are snapped into engagement with the crate, so that no time is taken up in loosening and tightening the fastenings and there is no danger of the latter becoming loosened and lost from the lid. Also by notching the corners o'f the lid, so as to form an intermedlate projecting portion,and having the cleats and cross-bars the same length as the width of the tongue or projecting portion the sides ofthe looped fastening lie within the sides of the crate, whereby the latter is free from lateral projections and the loop is not subject to accidental disengagement by frctional contact with adjacent crates or other extern al objects.

VV'nat is claimed ism The combination with a box, having an eX- ternal transversely-arranged end cleat 6 terminated at opposite ends short of the sides of the box, the adjacent upright corner edges of the latter being provided with nger-notches l2 at the opposite ends ot the cleat, of a lid or cover 2 having a -laterallyreduced end tongue portion 3 overlapping the end of the box and adapted to rest upon the cleat, said tongue being of the same length as the cleat, and a pendent spring-fastening loop 10 formed of a single piece of spring-wire having its fastening ends bent within the loops and in the same plane therewith, said-A fastening ends being thence bent in opposite directions and engaged in the tongue 3, the main body of the loop being of a length greater than that of the tongue and cleat and adapted to it over the same to form a fastening at each corner of the box, the opposite side portions of the loop being at the corners of the boX and exposed by the finger-notches for access thereto to effect the disengagement of the loop, and staples or eyes 9 for securing the loop to the lid of the'box and forming a hinged connection for said loop, substantially as specied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK MOELLENBROCK.

Witnesses :v L. W. SCHROEDER,

H. C. RIEcHERs. 

